A FINELY CAST GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF CHAKRASAMVARA 17TH / 18TH CENTURY

of rare six-armed form, the four-headed divinity standing in pratyalida, sporting a necklace of severed head, in union with his consort Vajravarahi, wearing a necklace of skull and a finely cast girdle of bones, trampling Kalaratri on the left and Bhairava on the right, set on a separately made repoussé double lotus base

The figure is generally in good overall condition. There are a few dents to the surface and some of the attributes the divinity helds are bent as visible on the photo. There is some expected minor wear to the gilding through handling. There is some oxydisation to the arms and figures on the base, removable and stable. The base is cast separately but original to the figure.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Newar people of the Kathmandu valley in Nepal have a natural artistic aptitude and have long been sought by Buddhist patrons throughout Asia to build and adorn their temples with paintings and their trademark gilt bronze sculpture. Most famously the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan appointed the young Newar artist Aniko (1245-1306) to lead all artistic production at court. Traditionally the Newars use pure copper to cast their statues that are subsequently fire-gilded. This exquisite example dating from the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century depicts the meditational deity Chakrasamvara, Circle of Bliss, in union with his consort Vajravarahi. The statue is made in three separate parts and assembled by means of tangs and rivets. The principal group of the male and female deities is sculpted and cast as one. The recumbent figures below are cast with slots that accommodate tangs beneath the feet of main deities. The oval platform is then riveted to a gilt repoussé copper lotus pedestal. 

Compare stylistic elements, including crown type and lotus pedestal, with a Nepalese gilt copper Indra group dating to 1650-1700 formerly in the collection of William H. Wolff, see Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronze, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 384. pl. 104A.